Selling a home these days is no easy feat

It takes a little more work, maybe a fresh coat of paint and thinking not only outside the box but sometimes outside your comfort zone. To sell your house in a timely fashion and get your asking price, you need to be willing to do whatever it takes.  That’s what the homeowners of a Brookhaven ranch learned as I helped them stage their home to sell.  For them, and for most people, staging is a wise investment when you look at the tremendous return. This home sold in 4 days, AND they got their asking price of $299k! So, how did we accomplish this?

First off, you have to take an honest look at your home through a buyer’s eyes. Most people have learned to live with the comfort of their own clutter. Clearing out rooms, cleaning, and repairing are the first steps before you begin to stage.

For this homeowner, that meant putting a few thousand dollars into repairs.

This mid-century modern home in the Ashford Park area of Brookhaven had some original architectural styles that we wanted to take advantage of and a cluttered basement we needed to clear out and showcase.

The owners had 3 dogs, so the hardwood floors needed to be refinished, and each room needed a new coat of paint.  Much of the furniture was leftover from college days and also needed upgrading. Getting the homeowner’s head in the game was half the battle!  It isn’t always easy making big changes, even though it’s for our best, especially when we’re changing your very personal space.. your home.

The listing agent was a friend of mine and knew I could turn this place around. Once she got us all on the same page, the homeowners saw the vision and went to work!

One of the first things I suggested was to replace the front door with this one of solid wood. It really pulls together the newly refinished floors and the gorgeous open beamed ceiling.

In the living room, we lightened the walls with a silver sage, and I suggested they paint the interior doors grey.  They were a little reluctant to paint the doors, but the goal was to make the house blend together.  The listing agent encouraged the homeowners to follow my lead, and once they did, and the living room started to fall into place!

We took a look at Home Goods and found this white shag rug, ultra modern tucked chair with ottoman, and a small lamp. A great piece of artwork over the mantle completed this room’s transformation.

We also replaced the Bohemian mishmash of furniture with a smart, sophisticated decor.

 

The master bedroom had the same stifling feel -too dark, too cluttered, too close. The walls were dark green and that just had to go. We needed some subtle but dramatic impact. That’s something that has to be created.  The use of color, strategic accents and the old “less is more” would work wonders here. The window in this room is a perfect example of mid century modern, so I wanted to highlight it and celebrate the classic design.

 

The adjoining master bathroom really just needed a fresh coat of paint and strategically placed accents.

The long slender tub had light orange tile that the homeowner didn’t want to replace.  I used Mindful Grey in both the bathroom and the bedroom for uniformity.  Fresh white towels, a piece of art and a few plants completed the finished look.

Back in the bedroom I added new lamps, brown and orange throw pillows, and a piece of artwork that pulled all the colors in both rooms together.

There were 2 other bathrooms in the home, and this first one had yellow tile with a black tile border and mosaic tile floor all original to the house.

It was in great condition, so I took the yellow tile color and went 2 shades darker for an accent wall in the adjoining bedroom.

Now, I had some symmetry and order to the balance of these rooms.  The Mindful Grey continued to be a unifying feature throughout the home.

The second bathroom was small, but I found the perfect shower curtain in brown paisley with a hint of green to pull the room together.

Even though this was a very small bath you’d never realize it with the classic long window and big mirror.  The wonderful cutout shelving between the bath and vanity is a classic element enhancing the personality of the home.

That’s one of the things I’d like to point out.  If there are original design elements that enhance the particular style, time period, or identity of the house, that’s something to showcase!

Next, let’s take a look at the kitchen. This isn’t a great picture, but I wanted you to see these lights.

These classic 60’s panel lights needed to stand out. Keeping in the 60’s groove, I wanted to keep the best decor elements of this room and make a couple small changes that would have the biggest effect.

This orange in the kitchen was actually appropriate to the time period. So, I embraced the orange, changed out the green wall with Mindful Grey, added another great piece of art, and turned the kitchen into a total advantage.

Even the period white cabinets fit perfectly against the classic lines of the windows, creating balance and a fresh vitality.  The lights….well, they now are a true focal point for the room!

Last, but certainly not least, we had to tackle the basement.

We have no before pictures, but suffice to say, the basement was a mess! I’m sure you’ve seen a few of these classically cluttered basements, stacked up to here with boxes and stuff, musty smelling, dank and dreary. You’ve got a grasp of the challenge.

The homeowners had no recourse but to clear it out. And clear it they did!

Once everything was removed and the space cleaned, we painted every square inch. Here’s the result!

I can’t begin tell you what a huge improvement this was! Most homes in this neighborhood don’t have basements, so we created little bit of a buzz when the house was listed.

This basement feature was another huge selling point that helped safeguard the asking price.

The homeowners listed on a Thursday and sold on Monday! They got their asking price of $299k with an investment of about $6,000 in staging materials. Even though they were skeptical and a little hesitant, they followed my plan and got the desired results. They really loved the final look so much that they took most of the new furniture and art with them to their new home.

Staging a home for sale takes some work and commitment. But wasn’t it worth it?  For the homeowners, that’s a resounding, “yes!”

Are you getting ready to sell your home or need suggestions for a staging? I’d be happy to give you my expert opinion to help you through the process.

Call me at 404 943 0779 or email me at Melanie@interior-revivals.com.